Wandering Whistling-duck vs Surf Scoter
Dendrocygna arcuata verglichen mit Melanitta perspicillata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Wandering Whistling-duck | Surf Scoter |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Dendrocygna arcuata | Melanitta perspicillata |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 37,2 cm (14.6 in) | 45,3 cm (17.8 in) |
| Gewicht | 779,5 g (27.50 oz) | 1019,75 g (35.97 oz) |
| Ernährung | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and herring spawn in coastal waters. Uses its distinctive swollen bill … |
| Gelegegröße | 6-15 | 5-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Gemeinsame Lebensräume
Wandering Whistling-duck only
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Wandering Whistling-duck
Tropical freshwater marshes, flooded grasslands, swamps, and lake margins from the Philippines and Indonesia through Papua New Guinea to northern and eastern Australia. Nomadic following wet season flooding.
Song & Call Comparison
Wandering Whistling-duck
A soft whistle 'whi-whi-whi' in flight. Less vocal than other whistling-ducks; flocks tend to be quieter. Given at dawn and dusk during flight to roosting or feeding areas.
Surf Scoter
Male produces a low, gurgling burble; female gives a crow-like, guttural cawing. The female's rasping, crow-like call is startling; males make soft, liquid gurgling notes during courtship.
Geographic Range & Migration
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
Surf Scoter
Breeds in boreal forests and tundra of northern North America. Winters along Pacific and Atlantic coasts south to Baja California and the Carolinas.
Erhaltungsstatus
Wandering Whistling-duck
Surf Scoter
How to Tell Them Apart
Wandering Whistling-duck
Rich chestnut-brown head and neck; dark brown back. Flanks rufous with pale buff streaks and dark spots. Belly blackish. Long, dark pinkish legs. Upright posture typical of whistling-ducks. Sexes similar.
Surf Scoter
Male is entirely glossy black except for white patches on forehead and nape; bill tricolored orange, red, and white with black spot. Female sooty-brown with two white facial patches.
About These Birds
Wandering Whistling-duck
A medium-sized whistling-duck with rufous-brown body, dark brown back, pale buff underparts, and a chestnut collar. Found in tropical wetlands from Indonesia to Australia and Pacific islands. Highly social and nomadic. Forages by dabbling and diving in shallow freshwater.
Surf Scoter
A medium-sized diving duck (~1 kg) of the family Anatidae, males all-black with a multicolored bill and white head patches. Breeds on boreal lakes and wetlands of North America; winters in coastal bays and surf zones. Dives for mussels, clams, and crustaceans. Least Concern; populations are considered stable overall.